The Greenlandic Days in Aalborg were held from Thursday, the 24th to Saturday, 26th of August 2017.
Every second year Aalborg Kommune and Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq organize together the ‘Greenlandic Days in Aalborg’ or the ‘Aalborg Days in Nuuk”. This year, Aalborg was host and the program was branched into three themes: politics, business and culture.
This year, there was a huge endorsement for all the activities, which has a considerable effect and it can be reflected in the collaborations ‘running’ all year round.
The political program
The political program filled the day, which started with breakfast and a few words of welcome by mayor, Thomas Kastrup-Larsen, at the Town Hall, in Aalborg centre. The political program ended with the presence of the Committee for Economy and Business from Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq and mayor, Asii Chemniz Narup at the forefront, along with other officials.
Following the breakfast, Thomas Kastrup-Larsen was guide on a bus tour through Aalborg city, together with the Councilwoman for Family and Employment Administration, Mai-Britt Iversen. During the tour, the delegation got an insight over Aalborg’s increasing population, as well as inspiration for the city development project in Nuuk: ‘Siorarsiorfik – Nuuk City Development’. Read more about the specific city areas where the delegation passed by under their tour.
During the political program regarding the Greenlandic Days in Aalborg, it was also part of the agenda to make the status on the city friendship collaboration between the two municipalities. It was two years ago when Asii Chemnitz Narup, mayor of Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq and Thomas Kastrup-Larsen, mayor of Aalborg Kommune who signed a sister-city agreement between the two municipalities. Read about the two mayors’ statements of the collaboration here.
Thursday’s program had further focus on opportunities for creating contacts and financing to innovative projects via EU-funds. For barely a year ago, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq partnered up with Nord Denmark EU-Office. Benjamin Holst, Director of North Denmark EU-Office addressed the topic under the Greenlandic Days in Aalborg, a presentation held for the delegation from Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq.
The business-oriented program
On Friday, a business seminar was held, with focus on the sister-city collaboration between the two cities. Specifically, the day’s focus was on the following topics:
- Growth in large cities
- Partnerships, clusters, network and cooperation models
- Research and innovations hub.
The business seminar and the presentations of the day – structured on the three topics and workshops – were held in separate conference rooms at the Aalborg Zoo. The participants could provide inputs to how the topics could be further elaborated, in order to create further growth, development and employment in both municipalities.
The day was filled with lively debates and many concrete inputs were provided. Afterwards, the organizers of the Greenlandic Days will gather around the three topics workshops, which can underpin new and more efficient cooperation criss-cross.
The cultural program
During the Greenlandic Days, Saturday 26th of August was the day of culture. Considerable support and huge attendance characterized the day, where the city friendship was celebrated together with the citizens and free activities for all. The day offered various activities in a triple program. Musikkens Hus in Aalborg formed the framework for all the activities of the day.
The program started at 2 pm with the performance “Inuit Games”, played by performers from Kofoeds School, outside in front of Musikkens Hus. Afterwards, the Unicycle Club LUCK Aalborg performed a show inside, which consisted of three girls between the age of 11 and 14, where one of them won the title of ‘europamester’ in “freestyle unicycling”.
Afterwards, the audience was ‘blown away’ by the duo ‘PM’ – Poul Peter Lorentzen and Mikkel Beier Gregersen – who performed a mini – concert, where for the first time, they performed their new song “Find Home” publicly, along with other songs.
At 2:30 pm, a vernissage took place, event introduced with a speech by Asii Chemnitz Narup, mayor of Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, who highlighted the good cooperation between the two municipalities. The vernissage consisted of four artworks, which Aka Høegh and Peter Max-Jakobsen created in a collaboration especially for the Greenlandic Days. The two talented and experienced artists have found a fellowship in the artistic language, where they each represent their country, nature and culture.
The last part of the Saturday’s program started at 8 pm, and it was a magnificent friendship concert in Musikkens Hus with Aalborg Symfoniorkester and a selection of Greenlandic musicians. Other artists who performed under the concert were Josef Lund Josefsen, Nina Kreutzmann Jørgensen, Randi Laubek and Frederik Elsner “F” with the band.
Aalborg Symfoniorkester had reinterpreted and composed new notes for the first three musicians, which gave the concert a special imprint. Frederik Elsner “F” and the band ended the night with a concert to remember, when they performed songs from their new album “Katassinnaanngisaq”.
